The state of website design in the Atlanta metro area is strong in my opinion. As with any industry you will find your con-men, hacks and contractors who do poor quality work but those are the vocal minority. The problem for someone in need of a website is selecting a competent designer. After all, if you knew how to make a website you wouldn't be spending thousands of dollars on hiring someone would you?

Many people have a friend or a relative who makes websites. We've taken on many clients who's "friend" has been working on their website for 6 months or longer with hardly anything to show for it. In this modern age of internet savvy consumers, not having a proper website is the equivilent of putting up a "opening soon" sign and locking the shop doors. You are literally losing walk in sales and cold calls when someone can't find you online. If your friend or relative wants to create your website I'd suggest looking for the following things:

1. Punctuality. If your friend is always late and missing deadlines how will they treat your website design?
2. Organization. Proper web design takes organization and attention to details. Make sure the person you are working with can handle this.
3. Current Portfolio. If your older brother used to build pages on AOL or Geocities and thinks they can build you a quality website, run. You want to see current websites they have worked on in the past year.
4. Upfront costs. Who's going to buy the domain? Who's going to host the website? If your friend hosts your website and then doesn't pay their bill your website is offline.

Website design in Atlanta is often done by freelancers or small design firms. The range widely in price, quality of work and customer service. I was recently looking at a competitors website for "search engine optimization" services in Atlanta. A quick look at their HTML code revealed they were missing one of the most basic and valued SEO items. While the website looked good and presented their offerings well, the company didn't even take the time to optimize their own site! It would be nearly impossible for a business looking to hire a designer in Atlanta to know these things.

What to look for in freelancers and small web design firms is:

1. Portfolio. If they cannot show you website they have created for real clients then pass on their services. Even the most junior web designer can find non profits or other projects to add to their resume.
2. Easy to contact. You website designer should answer their phone and return calls promptly. If they do not respond to emails within 24 hours, how long will your future updates take?
3. Reasonable price. If you expect to pay fast food prices then expect a fast food quality website. That doesn't mean you have to break the bank and spend buckets full of money. A typical small business website can range from $1000 to $5000 and up.
4. Focus on search engine optimization. In a recent survey 66% of participants said the Internet influences their purchasing decisions. You want to be the website they are looking at influencing these decisions. If a company you are considering doesn't come up in Google searches for their own business name, consider it a red flag.

So naturally we'd hope you choose the Atlanta Web Design Store for all your Internet needs. We suggest that every business in the metro area to put a strong focus on their website no matter who you work with.